Peace talks are due to be held between Ukraine and Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday – despite Vladimir Putin putting his nuclear forces on high alert.
Diplomats from Kyiv and Moscow are set to meet “without preconditions” near the Prypyat River on the Belarusian border as Putin’s invasion rumbles on for the fourth day.
President Zelenskyy’s office said Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko “has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation’s travel, talks and return.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said the talks were called following a conversation between Zelenskyy and Lukashenko after it was feared Belarus was preparing its troops to join Moscow’s invasion.
In a televised address, he said: “Today, we were as close as ever to the entry of Belarus armed forces into the war. This is why Presiden Zelensky and President Lukashenko spoke today.
“We have to defend our northern flank and we have to minimise the threats coming from there.
“So we agreed to send a delegation to the location on the Ukranian-Belarus border and we go to there to listen to what Russia has to say.”
He said diplomats will meet “without preliminary agreement” on what the outcome of the talks can be.
We are going there to say what we think of this war and Russia’s actions,” Kuleba added.
“I think the fact Russia wants to talk without any pre-conditions or any ultimatums, without any demands addressed to Ukraine, is already a victory for Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy had earlier refused to negotiate in Belarus, but according to Kuleba, Belarus’s president told him there would be “no such move” as long as the planned talks go ahead.
It comes after Putin put his nuclear forces on high alert just after warning the West “may face the greatest consequences in history”.
The Russian tyrant is said to be “furious” he’s not been able to subdue Ukraine and lashed out at NATO for its “unfriendly measures” he says forced him into the chilling nuclear gamble
The move means Putin has ordered the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear warheads prepared for launched readiness.
That raises the terrifying possibility the crisis and a miscalculation could spill over into nuclear war.
In an address on state TV, Putin claimed aggressive statements by NATO leaders and economic sanctions against Moscow have forced his hand.
He said “not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures” such as “illegal sanctions” but “top officials of leading NATO countries allow themselves to make aggressive statements with regards to our country”.
Putin said he has now ordered his military command to put Russia’s deterrence forces – a reference to units which include nuclear arms – on high alert.
(TheSun)
